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Monday, January 5, 2015

Our Heritage of Joy

As you begin a new year perhaps you've decided to read through the Bible, or examine your life in light of your mission on earth....but I'm betting the first concept in your mind wasn't "joy". But you come from joy, you are made for joy, and it's not a long shot to see joy as your destiny and your greatest weapon against the burdens and obstacles that conspire to weigh you down. I'm privileged to have been given a sneak peek at a new book by author Margaret Feinberg "Fight Back With Joy", and I want to whet your appetite by sharing a bit of it with you.

Joy emanates out of the abiding sense of God's fierce love for us. #fightbackwithjoy

From the first pages of Genesis we see that creation itself was a process of joy - God proclaims "It was very good" repeatedly as he rejoiced in His work. Think of the happiness that radiates from a small child, unburdened by expectations, as he create with fingerpaints or flour or shredded tissues - how much deeper was the joy God experienced as he created his masterpiece? His joy spans from the beginning of time through the history of mankind. Margaret writes: "The astonishing love of God found in the relational dance of the Trinity is brimming with delight. Joy splashes at Jesus' baptism as the Holy Spirit descends and the Father proclaims Christ as his beloved Son...The fullness of joy abides in God's presence." His joy is part of the fiber of our very existence.

God delighted in mankind, and we as his creation have the capacity for deep joy. God blesses us with profound and simple joys - sunsets and puppies and children and love....and gives us the ultimate gift of joy in the person of Jesus. "Jesus arrives in joy, departs in joy, and calls us to great joy through fellowship with him." Through Christ we are destined for joy. We tend to fuss and worry about finding our purpose in life and Margaret reminds us gently "Joy is where you come from. Joy is what you are created to experience. Joy is where you are headed." If we can grasp that concept how would it impact our lives to live from a wellspring of joy? As you go forward with strong intention in this new year, I urge you to claim joy as your heritage, and I promise you'll see things differently.

You have joy because you are drenched in the grace and mercies of God. #fightbackwithjoy

This post is part of Margaret Feinberg's Partymob for her brand-new book and Bible study, Fight Back with Joy. To grab a copy of this book use these links: Amazon or Barnes and Noble .